Little Big Town controversy

[miranda3]

theboot.com/little-big-town-girl-crush-controversy/

[Deleted]

I didn't know there was a controversy but it doesn't surprise me. I have the album and the first time I listened to it and heard "Girl Crush" I thought, what are they trying to say...so I googled for the songwriters view of the song. Straight woman, married for years with a bunch of kids...Lori. The way it's written though, it could just as easily be a lesbian love song.

I didn't know that Brandy Clark is gay but then again, why would I? Her song "Stripes" is a hoot.

Last week, we got a letter from the Pastor of the Presbyterian Church we go too. It seems that that the national Presbyterian Church decided to let individual churches and Pastor's within the larger church decide whether or not to perform same sex marriages, where it was legal to do so, within their own belief systems.

The minister wrote to all the people in the congregation because it (apparently) was reported in the news that the national Presbyterian Church now "required" churches and ministers to perform same sex marriages. You know the national news media, they go for dramatic headlines.

What our Pastor wrote was that no minister was required to perform any marriage ceremony...that it was always up to the minister based on their own judgment...and we all know that's true. With some churches you have to have classes before they'll even consider marrying you in their church.

I really do have a point and it ties in with the LBT song.

IMHO, the Supreme Court will decide same sex marriage in a few weeks...decision probably announced in June.

Along with that though, is another pending case where an elderly florist, who had a gay couple as customers for years, was asked to do the flowers for their wedding. They were friendly enough that she told them politely that, because of her religious beliefs, she couldn't provide the flowers for their wedding and then they shared a hug. Then the gay couple turned around and sued this florist for discrimination.

Which walks hand in hand with the potential for what could happen to churches or ministers who choose not to perform a same sex marriage (where it's legal).

I think it's disingenuous for LBT to debate both sides...that the conversation should be happening but it's unfair for the song not to be getting airplay. What's the next step here? Discrimination lawsuits...or the threat of them...if airplay isn't there?

Yes, I know, LBT's members are straight...but that's today and this song.

Is radio supposed to start playing Billy Gilman now just because he's told the world he's gay? Is it discrimination if he's not getting airplay? How much airplay would be "fair" for Billy? (not that I've heard him express any such sentiment about airplay).

[Deleted]

I always loved this Billy video.

[miranda3]

Today is the first time I ever heard of this song. And actually, I think this is a good song. Obviously people who took issue with it did not actually listen to it. People hear what they want to hear, and most of the time that is ALL they hear. I see this kind of ignorance every day in my job especially when there is a controversial issue. it ticks me off to no end, but that's life LOL

Yes, I did know that Presbyterian church was allowing churches to consider performing gay weddings. The local Presbyterian preacher here was talking about it on Facebook the other day. I can't remember what his personal opinion was on it. I figure he would probably do it though.

It doesn't really make any difference to me if gay people get married. After I got married I no longer saw marriage the sacred institution I previously thought it to be. Heterosexual people have done so much to degrade marriage that I don't see how gay people getting married could degrade it any worse. But I don't think any church should be forced to recognize a gay marriage if that is not what the congregation believes. My church does not believe in this and my pastor would not perform such a ceremony.

[Deleted]

I'm sure I've posted this before on the CWO boards, but my husband was on the Church in Society board at his old church and they have a platform of being an open and affirming church. They have a high percentage of gay folks in their congregation. Over time, I became very frustrated with them because I don't believe churches should be dogging others from the pulpit....and they preached their political agenda very loudly and very aggressively. Part of the say it loud policy was to have a float every year in the Houston Gay Pride parade and hubby did that for years. It's always been something he's been very passionately supportive of.

For me, personally, I'm with Gretchen Wilson and Hag singing they're for the "preachers still down on their knees". I'm exhausted from the decade and a half where hubby went to a church...the same church family as Obama's "God damn America" preacher ....and the relentless activism. I came to believe that those folks were listening to themselves and reaffirming themselves and it had very little to do with God at all. I wouldn't go to that church.

Which is why we now go to the Presbyterian Church where we study the Bible and the preacher is still down on his knees looking up to God. Where the congregation is still looking up to God. Where the activism is feeding the hungry and trying to help the homeless.

I understand that I believe that the arrogance comes from those pushing others for what they "should" do rather than from those who are speaking, in quiet tones, about how their beliefs are based on the worldwide understanding of scripture.

I came to where I am from liberalism which came face to face with activist progressives who really have no belief in liberalism and free choice at all.

If that's ignorance, I can live with that.

[miranda3]

I agree, if a church isn't trying to people's basic needs then their "activism" doesn't amount to anything. We are fortunate here to have several pastors who serve the community.. And we also received help from many churches across the country after the tornado of 2012. That is what churches should be doing, not preaching a political agenda IMO

[Deleted]

See, we agree. : ) That's what I think churches should be doing too.

[Deleted]

I'll throw my hat into the ring...if LBT is pandering to the LBGT community then it will show in sales.

But really I am sick and tired of these folks screaming for their rights.

Give it to them already...let them be as miserable as married folks...and pay taxes.

Make it as hard on them as married folks to leave each other...make them stay.

If our Lord really had his/her way...they would open the doors wide to these folks.

A Marriage License is only a legal document that everyone should be able to get.

How they want to celebrate their union is totally up to them.

[Deleted]

Jo...I think I'll be a Presbyterian there is an 1824 church just 1/8 of a mile from me.

Miranda...No matter how hard you have worked to recover from the tornado...it will never be the same.

[Deleted]

Michael,

We are all loved by God and we are all sinners. The door and the path to the Lord are open wide for all of us.

But my impression is that what your saying here:

"If our Lord really had his/her way...they would open the doors wide to these folks." is about churches rather than God. I think those doors are open too though.

Taking it to the next logical step, there is a real difference between welcoming all sinners into worship services and deciding that what the Bible says is "sin" isn't "sin". IMHO, that's where the controversy lies.

Let me give an example separate from the whole same sex marriage issue because it's so bogged down in emotion and politics that it's pretty much impossible to explain the controversy without everybody involved getting frustrated.

Let's say that I decide to cheat on my husband...not that I would because it goes against everything I believe in. But, for whatever reason, I commit adultery. I would expect the church to continue to open it's doors to me. I know that God would not desert me. What I would not expect is for the entire religious world to say, I won't ever speak of adultery being a sin again because we need to have people feel welcomed and after all, we are all sinners.

There will be people and congregations who would choose not to speak of adultery because it is so common and because that's a choice they choose to make as a group...which is all good. Free choice is free choice.

But it's not free choice or freedom of religion if those folks and churches who do still want to believe and talk about adultery being a sin are forced by outside pressure to do the politically correct thing ...or else get sued for discrimination. Freedom is all about allowing different points of view and different beliefs.

Or we could say that I'm a big shot executive and I steal from the corporation, putting lots of people out of work or losing their pensions. Again, I don't think the church would close it's doors to me. Again, I don't believe God would desert me. But I wouldn't expect the church to say, we'll never talk about corporate theft again because we want you to feel welcome in our church and it would be wrong of us to make you feel uncomfortable.

Which brings me to a comment a guy made in our Sunday school class recently. He said, religion is supposed to make you a little bit uncomfortable. I agree with him. Religion is supposed to make you question yourself. Was I kind or was I snotty? Was I honest or did I lie? Did I give freely with an open heart? Who did I really harm by rearranging corporate finances? Why is it wrong to commit adultery when it was what I wanted at the time? ...and on and on and on. If you don't question yourself...if you don't strive for honesty...what's the point of religion?

Just like, if you don't plan on being faithful and true to your marriage, what's the point of being married? Which is, of course, the difference between the sanctity of marriage and having a piece of paper.

Like I said, the Supreme Court is going to decide about the piece of paper very soon....and I'm glad they will.

[miranda3]

I think marriage is a legal institution and not a religious one. I dont see how legally anyone can disagree with allowing gay people to get married. I think that is the only right thing to do according to the constitution. But it's not right to force it on a church and order them to perform ceremonies they don't want to perform. There should be freedom for gay couples and freedom for the churches. A lot of Christians feel homosexuality is wrong and according to the bible it is. But they cannot process that in America, people have a right to be "wrong" as long as they'd are not hurting anyone. I guess it seems I am playing both sides of the fence but there ARE two sides to this and neither side feels the other should be regarded with any respect.

Basically I feel like marriage is just a piece of paper. Most people don't take it seriously. Most people in churches are divorced nowadays. They've either cheated or been cheated on; have been either an abuser or an abusee in some form or fashion. I think if Christians want to lament the lack of respect for sanctity of marriage, they need to blame themselves first before they start crusading against others. I say this as a Christian and a divorcee.... 

[Deleted]

Miranda,

If all of this was truly about a piece of paper, civil unions would have come into being a very long time ago.

[miranda3]

i agree it is "about" more than a piece of paper. I'm saying, people have reduced marriage to a piece of paper and rendered it meaningless. 

[Deleted]

I think this song says it well Miranda. I don't believe most people leave a marriage until and unless staying is worse than leaving.


If it were just a piece of paper, it wouldn't hurt so much when it ends.

[miranda3]

The end of a marriage is painful for a lot of people. Myself included, and my husband treated me like dirt. I shouldn't have felt bad about it at all, but I did. And in some ways I still haven't been able to move on from certain events even after four years. But a lot of people I've seen lately got over it pretty quick. LOL

that is a good song, about sums it up